1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wheel lug nut tools and, more particularly, to a wheel lug nut tool which provides a plurality of wheel lug studs and/or lug sockets in a readily accessible configuration to accommodate determination of the dimensions and thread configuration of lug nut or lug bolt, respectively.
2. The Prior Art
A wheel for an automotive vehicle includes an annular rim portion upon which a peneumatic tire is mounted. The center portion of the wheel is configurated as a generally flat, annular flange oriented parallel to the plan of the wheel. This flange is referred to in the trade as the pad and includes a plurality of apertures disposed in a circle about the center of the pad. These apertures serve as lug bolt and/or lug stud-receiving apertures for mounting the wheel to the hub portion of the automotive vehicle.
The hub portion of the automotive vehicle includes a plurality of male threaded lug studs or lug bolt-receiving, female threaded sockets therein arranged in a circle about the center of the hub. The lug studs extend perpendicularly from the plane of rotation of the hub whereas the lug bolt-receiving threaded sockets are apertures that receive lug bolts perpendicularly to the plane of rotation of the hub.
The automotive industry produces a wide variety of automotive vehicles each year and is responsible for a considerable wholesale and retail trade in goods and services related to providing wheels for the automotive vehicles produced. Currently there are more than a dozen thread types and sizes for the various lug stud/lug nut and lug bolt combinations since each automotive vehicle manufacturer uses its own predetermined combinations for the various types and models of automotive vehicles it produces each year. Although the lug stud/lug nut and lug bolt combinations used by each manufacturer may remain fairly standard for each model year, changes are made continually with regard to these combinations.
Accordingly, sales and service organizations in the wholesale and retail trade related to automotive wheels are required to maintain fairly large inventories of lug studs, lug nuts, and lug bolts in order to meet the anticipated customer demand for replacement items. Historically, neither lug nuts, lug bolts nor lug studs carry a designation as to the type, size or thread size of the item. Furthermore, it would be impossible to imprint a designation for all the various automotive vehicles upon which particular wheel fastener devices would be usable. Accordingly, it becomes very difficult to match a particular lug nut or lug bolt from a loose assortment of lug nuts or lug bolts with its correspponding lug stud or threaded hub socket, respectively.
Additionally, lug nuts or lug bolts frequently become lost, particularly by carelessness or accident during wheel replacement by persons generally inexperienced with this type of activity. Accordingly, replacement of a missing lug nut or lug bolt results in the possibility for mismatching of threaded fasteners with a resultant damaged thread. A damaged thread resulting from mismatching is an inherently dangerous condition since a damaged threat will not hold a wheel securely to the hub. This is particularly crucial in the absence of any reliable guide as to the particular lug nut and/or lug bolt combination required for a particular automotive vehicle.
It would, therefore, be an advancement in the art to provide a wheel lug nut tool whereby the more common lug studs and lug sockets are mounted on a common base so as to be readily accessible. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide a lug nut tool combination with an associated indicia to enable the prompt and accurate matching of a lug nut with a known lug stud. It would also be an advancement in the art to provide a lug nut tool whereby the various lug studs in the tool may be readily replaced when worn, damaged or outdated. Such an invention is disclosed and claimed herein.